Karen Loube A memorial service will be May 5 for Karen Elizabeth "Liza" Loube of Walterville, who died Feb. 6 of cancer. She was 50.

Loube was born Oct. 19, 1951, in Washington D.C., to Samuel and Evelyn Egber Loube.

She lived in Bethesda, Md.; Bisbee, Ariz.; and the Greenbriar Community near Austin, Texas, before moving to Eugene in 1996.

She graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda in 1969, and studied social work at the University of Maryland.

She worked for 26 years as a craftsperson, making jewelry including her signature "puzzle ring." She sold her goods at Eugene's Saturday Market.

She was a certified family mediator with Family Mediation Service, a local nonprofit service for low-income families. She performed a volunteer mediation on the afternoon she went to the hospital, unaware that she had just two weeks to live.

She enjoyed teaching, knitting, kayaking and toys. Her interests included conservation, the environment and human rights.

Survivors include her life partner of 20 years, Kirk Houser; her father, of Naples, Fla.; three children, Tawasi of Denver, Colo., and Tashubi and Pahos Morningstar, both of Walterville; three brothers, Brian Loube of New York, Jonathan Light of Belize, and Julian Loube of Atlanta; three sisters, Susan Loube of Grants Pass, Patricia Cheetham of Washington D.C., and Pamela Loube of Lusby, Md.; and one grandchild.

The May 5 service will be at 1 p.m. at the Lamb Cottage in Skinner Butte Park in Eugene. Andreason's Cremation & Burial Service in Eugene is in charge of arrangements.

I remember Karen as we were in Civinettes together. After reading the posted obituary I found out something very coincidental - we both shared the same birthday. I don't know if I knew that when we were in high school together. I know that we had some classes together.

I met Karen through "Pipeline". It was a phone number you could call & it was sort of a party line. There would be 10 people or so(all kids of course)on at once. I remember in 6th or 7th grade, Frank Popplewell and I would call the Pipeline number, and we'd all yell "anybody from Pyle?" And then if we found someone, we'd hook up. That's how we found Karen and became good friends with her throughout Junior High. I believe Frank dated her a bit. I was so looking forward to asking her if she remembered Pipeline. So sad. Anybody else remember Pipeline?

When I learned of Karen's passing it was more than just a loss of a someone that I knew in high school; it was a loss of that encapsulated memory of high school. A period that each of us in our own way, have regarded as sacroscant; memories that are ours alone.

Karen was the first girls that I kissed in high school; a memory that could never be forgotten. We were attempting to date but I was not Jewish and her parents were very strict about seeing anyone outside of her faith. We devised a plan that anyone that, other that two teenagers that wanted to out together, could easily see through. Given that my last name was "Cook", and obviously not jewish, we told her parents that my mother was a devout jew but she had decided to take my father's last name (who was a christian). We then added that I was following in my mother's faith. Now, forget about the fact that I had never been to Synagogue, nor was I aware of anything having to do with the jewish faith, it seemed like a brilliant story. Unfortunately, that story lasted about a week (lol). For some unknown reason her parents saw right though our air-tight explaination (lol). Such was life in high school. So long Karen; you have no idea how much I miss those times.

Karen was a dear friend. I remember walking through snow storms to get to her house. I loved palying chopsticks on her family's beautiful piano. Her grandmother used to make food - for everyone she knew, and boy oh boy, was it delicous. Karen, you are missed by so many. Thank you for the wonderful memories of our friendship together while at Whitman.